TDP-BJP deal highlights

After much dilly-dallying, TDP chief Chandrababu Naidu finally agreed for a pre-poll pact with the BJP.

Talks of alliance between the two parties had been a hot topic of discussion in the AP political circles for quite some time. It finally happened on Sunday. The saffron party is naturally thrilled with the way things have progressed as the TDP deal would add strength to the NDA.

However, not everyone in both parties is happy with the developments. In a major blow to the Telugu Desam, TDP MLA from Medak, Mynampalli Hanumanth Rao quit his party membership much to the disappointment of party members.

Hanumanth Rao called the BJP-TDP deal 'unholy'. The party's politburo member Zahed Ali Khan too resigned from the party. This too was a big jolt to Naidu as Khan is the Muslim face of the party.

To express displeasure over the party's allience with the saffron party, Telugu Desam supporters from Telangana staged a protest near the TDP chief's residence.

The displeasure was heard in the BJP too as district presidents from Telangana slammed the pre-poll pact between the two parties. Even though BJP state president Kishan Reddy vowed to bow down to the decision of his party's High Command, his absence during the final talks told a different story.

The deal follows a series of deliberations between the two parties.

Here are highlights of the TDP-BJP alliance

• BJP will contest in 8 out of the 17 ls seats in Telangana, 5 of 25 in Seemandhra
• 47 Assembly seats of 119 in Telangana and 15 of 125 in Seemandhra with BJP
• The BJP and TDP will announce the candidate list soon
• The saffron party is most likely to field Kishan Reddy or Bandaru Dattatreya from Secunderabad